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Hi all, I live in North County San Diego. Just brought a ‘72 Cutlass S (350) home two days ago.
Vinyl top means the roof skin is Swiss cheese along with pretty heavy rot in sail panels. Some flaking scaling in the rocker panel by a couple of the wheel wells, too.
The car seems to be pretty complete, though. And yesterday I got it to run. Waiting on an O.G. Chassis Service Manual to arrive.
I have lots of videos but limited pics (screenshots from the videos, haha.)
my number one priority is securing a space to work. My ego convinced ME that I could convince my wife to let me take over our garage…but alas, I failed there. I remain grateful that she understands the time and financial commitment to take this on and allowed me to bring the car home at all.
Looking forward to soaking up your wisdom and experience on this project!
Sit down and make a checklist of the work to be done and in what order you want to tackle it. Take it one job at a time. Having a list will also help you remember what parts are needed which helps when you run across a good deal on something.
Welcome aboard and best of luck with the new project. Make it fun.
I'm always curious - especially when you say you're new to restoration and Oldsmobiles; what drew you to this particular car? Is there something about it you like or was it more by accident and it landed in your lap?
Welcome aboard and best of luck with the new project. Make it fun.
I'm always curious - especially when you say you're new to restoration and Oldsmobiles; what drew you to this particular car? Is there something about it you like or was it more by accident and it landed in your lap?
Thats a great question! I grew up loving Hot Rod magazines and always had a love for driving and for cars in general…but magazines were as close as I came. Family and inner circle did not expose me to the actual “doing of the thing.”
Of course “the legendary 442” was a car I admired in glossy pages…
Long story short: this car fell into my lap as you aptly put it! It was a gift from an elderly woman who is moving out of California. She is the third owner, her brother bought it new and passed it to her sister…who in turn gave it to her.
I had occasion to see “something interesting” under a tarp in her driveway while I was there doing some work for her. I peeked and then inquired what she would do with it when she moved, and the rest is history!
Sit down and make a checklist of the work to be done and in what order you want to tackle it. Take it one job at a time. Having a list will also help you remember what parts are needed which helps when you run across a good deal on something.
good luck on the project.
Check on the checklist! Thank you and to all for the encouragement and advice!!
I am so eager to start stripping this car, and yet I understand…getting the workspace has to come first.
Doesn’t make sense to pull of a bunch of parts & harnesses, fasteners, nuts and bolts that I can’t store properly and effectively keep track of!!
Hope to post again soon in a “progress related” section of the forum! 🫡
Before you start stripping anything, take pics of it, and at stages of dis-assembly. You'll be glad when you re-assemble it. Also buy some ZipLoc bags in quart and gallon size to put parts in. Label the bags with a permanent marker. Buy a tote or two to store the bags of parts.
Before you start stripping anything, take pics of it, and at stages of dis-assembly. You'll be glad when you re-assemble it. Also buy some ZipLoc bags in quart and gallon size to put parts in. Label the bags with a permanent marker. Buy a tote or two to store the bags of parts.
Don't know what kind of area you live in but if it's an older suburban neighborhood or near one, you might have some luck renting a single-car garage from some older folks who might look kindly on a couple of C's a month to supplement their retirement income. I've done this on a few occasions in the past -- although that was long enough ago that the cost was $50/month.
Conversely, if you live in a city, there may be commercial car storage facilities available. No idea about cost, but at least it's something to Google.
Don't know what kind of area you live in but if it's an older suburban neighborhood or near one, you might have some luck renting a single-car garage from some older folks who might look kindly on a couple of C's a month to supplement their retirement income. I've done this on a few occasions in the past -- although that was long enough ago that the cost was $50/month.
Conversely, if you live in a city, there may be commercial car storage facilities available. No idea about cost, but at least it's something to Google.
Yes, the bat signal is up on the local “neighborhood apps” and I’ve started the networking process in my social circles…. I have faith the right place will reveal itself soon, but if y’all wanna cross your fingers for me I am not too proud to turn down any good juju sent my way 😁
Never having restored a car before, I’m very open to perspectives on what to tackle first.
My goal is a fun and reliable weekend car. My overall budget is $30k.
My natural inclination is to get powertrain, steering, suspension and brakes rock solid before doing any body or interior BUT: rust. Is it important to repair and control the rust to prevent the cancer spreading?
Thanks in advance for your opinions!
*edit* moving to general discussion forum
Last edited by Zack Abides; Sep 1, 2024 at 05:26 PM.
Before you start stripping anything, take pics of it, and at stages of dis-assembly. You'll be glad when you re-assemble it. Also buy some ZipLoc bags in quart and gallon size to put parts in. Label the bags with a permanent marker. Buy a tote or two to store the bags of parts.
...and remember, there is no such thing as over labelling. Use a piece of paper in the baggy to make note of it's contents. Separate hardware from each area clearly. It all seems very obvious when you're pulling the car apart but by the time you start putting it back together you'll find yourself spending a lot of time scratching your head and staring at unlabelled baggies of nuts and bolts!
My wife add 30k to any Cutlass we buy . Good round number to get all the goodies you want. I you learn how to do much of it yourself the budget will go along way.
if you are going to have someone do part of it say body or something do not disassemble that portion of the project, you will cost yourself more in the long run.
I buy the worst 66 and 67 Cutlass's we are on our 29th car at the moment. Our first convertible what a difference a roof makes. But like every one has already stated take photos make notes take lots of measurements and when you disassemble a Sharpe and zip top bags are your best friend. Number your bags inside add a note with left or right what part and how many screws. Then add that number and dicription to your note book . I average 100 bags per car. That thing I always what someone to remember is to enjoy the journey of building the car. It is a big process with many small projects. My kids always ask how I don't get overwhelmed. It's one a labor of love. And 6 inches at a time . That is all you need to remember. Some projects like a floor pan seem huge. But it's all prep. And when finished you knocked out a 8ft section. Every one does it differently but this community is here , every one has a story or a tip. But in the end it is your journey enjoy the time.
...and remember, there is no such thing as over labelling. Use a piece of paper in the baggy to make note of it's contents. Separate hardware from each area clearly. It all seems very obvious when you're pulling the car apart but by the time you start putting it back together you'll find yourself spending a lot of time scratching your head and staring at unlabelled baggies of nuts and bolts!
haha, thank you. Yes, lots of photos/video for reference and label & organize THOROUGHLY!! 🫡
Never having restored a car before, I’m very open to perspectives on what to tackle first.
My goal is a fun and reliable weekend car. My overall budget is $30k.
My natural inclination is to get powertrain, steering, suspension and brakes rock solid before doing any body or interior BUT: rust. Is it important to repair and control the rust to prevent the cancer spreading?
Thanks in advance for your opinions!
*edit* moving to general discussion forum
"Restoration" and "Upgrade" are terms that are used very loosely to describe any amount of work involved. You need to determine what level of "restoration" you can afford. Engine/Driveline refresh, Interior and paint are very general "restorations".
Are you trying for a Con Cours restoration from the ground up ? $$$$$$$$$ Are you trying for a general appearance of the car to resemble what came from the factory ? Still pricey.
Have someone who is competent to help you assess the rust. This is where most people get in over their head in a hurry.
Last edited by OLDSter Ralph; Sep 2, 2024 at 12:04 AM.
BUT: rust. Is it important to repair and control the rust to prevent the cancer spreading?
Not important, crucial. You must determine the extent of the rust before you spend another dime. If the car is a real 'bucket then it may not even be structurally sound enough to be viable.
Have it evaluated by a competent body man before you do anything else. Extensive rust repair will have you wondering what happened to that thirty grand in a big hurry.
